The sound of a musical instrument can be enhanced through the use of a soundbox. A soundbox is a hollow box of a stringed instrument containing a soundboard. The instrument's strings attach to the soundboard, and the soundbox encloses the soundboard to form the hollow box of the instrument. The soundbox enhances the volume and tone of the instrument by acting as a resonator. It also enables the instrument to produce a clean, focused, natural sound.
Currently most soundboxes are made from at least one piece of wood. Use of wood, however, leads to increased manufacturing and assembly costs. The manufacturing process involves cutting, shaping, and finishing the wood. Moreover, wood can be a costly material, especially if a higher grade must be used. Assembly can also lead to increased costs. If the soundbox is made from several pieces, the pieces will have to be formed so that they fit securely together. Moreover, the separate pieces must be somehow joined together to form a durable, long-lasting soundbox. If the soundbox is formed from only one block of wood, on the other hand, the manufacturing process alone will lead to increased costs. The wood block would need to be formed and shaped such that it sufficiently forms a soundbox by itself. This would be a time-consuming effort that would likely necessitate the capabilities of skilled craftsmen.
Based on the foregoing, there exists a need for a soundbox that avoids the requirement of shaping, manufacturing, assembling, and finishing wood components. In other words, there is a demand for a low-cost soundbox made from inexpensive yet durable material that requires minimal manufacturing and assembly.
Soundboxes also have a tendency to deform over time due to the tension that the strings impart on the instrument. A soundbox is built such that it encloses a soundboard, and the soundboard is used to pull the strings tautly away from the instrument. By playing the instrument, the strings pull on the soundboard, and the soundboard and soundbox can deform over time. Accordingly, there is also a need to build a soundbox with a support or reinforcement to prevent deformation of the soundboard and soundbox.